“It is not the ocean that you hear in the empty shell of a nautilus, it is the echo of your soul.”
Khang Kijarro Nguyen
We are immersed in the watery astrological season of Pisces ruled by Neptune, fully submerged after the dreamy new moon in Pisces on 6th March 2019. I am lucky to be enjoying a weekend away on the Norfolk coast and after a day of beach-combing, I have felt inspired to deep dive into the underwater trend for shell-like motifs, scalloped surfaces, wavy lines, pearlescent finishes and enveloping form.
The current shell trend manifests in a far more elemental way than the kitsch nautical knick-knackery which has graced many a downstairs loo over the years!
Instead, shell-shapes fuse water and earth as underwater organic materials manifest into unique visual and tactile formations. Many shells themselves micro-homes for marine creatures, take on the qualities of ‘home’ we can relate to – their cavernous shapes have both concave and convex aspects that symbolise an enfolding, protective retreat. They have a simultaneous emptiness and fullness and when we stop to listen into the natural container of a spiral seashell, we access a quietude that reflects back the soulful whispering of our inner selves.
According to the Clippings Spring Trend Report shells introduce “a playful and imaginative note”, embodying a sweet nostalgia for many, “they’re uplifting additions to an interior, like souvenirs brought back from a day combing the beach”.
Certainly for me, afternoons spent rock-pooling with a bucket and spade in hand on a quest to find shimmering seashells to adorn painstakingly made sandcastles, form fond childhood memories spent with my family on the South Devon coast.
The above artwork by Hotel Magique depicts a shell represented by curved, sinous, swirling lines influenced by the ebb and flow of the water element, where boundaries merge with a softness and strength.
Another key element to the trend is the watercolour palette of pastels, often in ombre tones, from nude, oyster, blush tones to amethyst, turquoise and teal, again signifying a limitless blending of edges.
In addition to palette, the trend can be expressed in sheer, pearlescent finishes – ethereal, glistening, translucent and otherworldly like these beautiful ceramics by Elvis Robertson.
Contrastingly to the fluid, textural and abstract portrayal of the shell motif, it can also take on an Art Deco style glamour, presented in neat scalloped edges and surfaces. This look is incredibly popular with beautiful incarnations created by some of my favourite designers.
Italian multi-disciplinary designer Cristina Celestino created a collection Fornace Brioni, an Italian family company that creates cotto tiles, the result of the subtle alchemy between water, earth, and fire. The collection is called Giardino delle Delizie influenced by the grottos of Renaissance gardens. The Rocaille tile is a mosaic of seashells controlled with impressive compositional rigour. The concave and convex parts are compact, signifying the decorative traces of lost seashells.
The Ariel chair from Graham & Green is a great example of bringing together the key aspects of a seashell’s organic form, with an enveloping feel and a hint of Art Deco glamour. Its sculptural clam-shell design, upholstered in contrasting charcoal & natural stripe linen and backed in natural linen, is grounded with dark carved wooden legs to complete the piece.
Award-winning furniture and homewares designer Bethan Gray recently created a furniture collection for Anthropologie, inspired by Native American culture and nature, specifically feathers but with a strong scalloped and oyster shell-like form. Bethan says,
“I am often inspired by cultural references and the patterns and forms found in nature,’ says Bethan. ‘I also work with natural materials – there’s something about the way they feel to the touch that just can’t be replicated”.
The collection includes Feather Occasional and Dining Chairs with brass legs and velvet upholstery available in three colourways, charcoal, rosewater pink and teal.
